Illuminated sign



June 28,1927. 1,633,785

. J. HOTCHNER ILLUMI'NATED smu Filed June 9. 19 26 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

6 .fpseyuflifokimen a J. HQTCHNER ILLUMINATED SIGN Fi d June 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u INVENTOR. 72 7; JoagphJiBXc/rngh Patented June 28, 192?.

names JOSEPH HOTCHNER OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

This invention relates to an illuminated sign of the general type known as transparencies, and provides certain new forms of construction which will facilitate manufacture and permit repairs to be easily made, should the transparent ortranslucent'inedium used in the sign be accidentally broken.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means to hold the translucent portion members in place in such a manner as tov permit the translucent members to be in- I with a still difierent pattern of cutting the serted in place in the sign without injury to. the clips. v Another object of the invention is to provide a type of letter which can be enameled by firing without danger of warping or dis torting the plate forming the letter.

Another object 01 the invention is to provide a letter construction in which the trans lucent medium will be sufiicie'ntly raised from the body of the sign'to produce an artistic form of letter, vwhich translucent medium may be made up ot a plurality of small pieces of glass without disclosing that fact in the appearance of the sign and without cutting an entire sheet of glass to fit thera'ised portions of the letters.

Another ob ect or 'theinven'tion is to pro-' duce a letter of such form as to give leaded glass letter effects without using lead and, at the same timetorming a more substantial letter, colored glass being used to give any desired effect. p

Another object ofthe invention is toprodime a letter with a translucent glass backing which will dispense with the necessity of drilling the glass to hold the letter cen-' tors in place and which drilling 'i's'the cause of a great deal of breakage "in sign manu' tacture; V

Another object or" the invention is to provide sutficiently large light openings while at the same time comparatively small pieces of glass may be used to complete the letter.

Application filed June 9, 1926. Serial 1%,114525.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the samereference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the letter in which the letter elements are outlined by ineans'ot holes cut in the sheet metal for night illumination, v

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22, Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 38,Figure 1, i

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a slightly diiierent pattern or" letter,,1nade in identically the same as the letter shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a letter holes the letter elements,

Figure 6 is a sectional view substantially the same as Figure 2, showing the manner of assembling the glass in place in the letter,

Figure? is a perspective view of a fire enameled letter to which this invention has been applied,

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a form of fired letter in which the entire element of the letter has been removed, showing the applicability 'otthis clip to that form of letter,

Figure 9 1S a view in'section of the letter shown in Figure 8 showing the way the clips appear in the glass after they have been placed in position,

Figure 10 is a perspective View of the clip used one end of the glass, and

Figure 11 is a perspective View of the clip usedat the other end oft-he glass.

The numeral 1 indicates the letter plates or top of the sign} This letter plate is pressed up or formed up or otherwise raised, to produce a series of bevelled edges, indicated atEZt-o 13 inclusive, which bevelled edges hold the letter elements a short distance away from the letter body 1, the raised portions of the letter elements have a series of holes 15 to inclusive.

Between the series of holes 15 to 20 there tions 15 to 20 inclusive, which remain after the holes are cut out and serve to connect the structure. These bridging portions of the letter also serve to hide the junction of the pieces of glass 23 24:, 25 and 26, and eliminates the necessity of cutting out the entire shape of the letter from one piece of glass, which is exceptional and impracticable, and it also permits the use of scrap pieces of glass in filling the several letter elements.

The letter shown in the drawing is provided with tour glasses, 23 to 26 inclusive and these glasses are held by clips 27 to 34: inclusive. The clips and the manner of assembling the glass, in conjunction with the letters are shown in Figures 6 to 11 1nelusive.

The clips are of two forms made from a suitable non-corrosive spring metal, the single clips are of an S shape with a flat portion 71 and two oppositely placed hooked portions 72, 73. The double clips are pro vided with a flat portion 7 4, a hook 75, glass receiving portion 76 and glass holding hook 78.

The double clips are longer than the single clips, the object being to provide means whereby the longer clip may be placed in position in one of the holes of the letter or upon one of the edges of the letter openings, at which time the glass is inserted into the double clip as illustrated in Figure 6, one of the single clips is then applied to the opposite end of the glass (note the same figure) whereupon the glass may be dropped into place against the letterrbody 1. This will bring the single clip through one of the openings, whereupon the glass is moved so that the hook 72 will engage the body of the letter and the length of the glass is arranged so that when the clip hook 72 comes against the body of the letter (note Fig. 9), that the glass will be entirely removed from the hook 76 and it will snap down as illustrated in Fig. 9, at the righthand end with the hook 78 bearing upon the glass and holding it snugly in place.

In Figures 4 and 5 the letters are shown with sli htly different forms of connecting bars which give a more or less different artistic effect to the letters.

In Figure 4 the letter body is indicated at A; the raised portion of the letter at B and a series of diagonal bars C are left along theletter elements, translucent glasses D being used in connection therewith, and secured thereto by means of the clips E and F.

In Figure 5 the construction is precisely the same as in Figure 4, and the same letters refer to the several. parts in said figure, except that the bars C are of slightly different artistic appearance.

In Figure 7 there is shown a flat letter plate 35, this letter plate has a plurality of holes 50 therein, spaced a short distance from each other along the letter elements. This letter when so formed can be either enamell-ed without causing it to be distorted around the letter elements. would be the case it this letter were cut out as completely as is the letter shown in Figure 8. When the letter is provided with a series of openings to outline the same, it can be either cnamelled and then a single sheet of glass 53 can be used to cover the back of the letter to fill all the holes and clips 58. Clips 54 to 60 can then be used to secure the glass in place.

When a plain cut-out letter is to be used,

the clips may also be made use of, as illustrated in Figure 8, in which 61 indicates.

the letter body, which letter body has the central portion cut out to form the letter I. This central portion is then covered in back by means of the translucent glass 66. Said glass is secured in place by means of two of the single clips 67, 70 and two of the double clips 68, 69.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while no means to illuminate the letter have been shown in this application. that any kind of a lamp may be used at the back of the letter to give the desired illumination.

What. I claim is as follows, but various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described form, within the purview of my invention.

1. A letter plate for illuminated signs comprising a plate having a character outlined thereon with an opening therethrough. a translucent member to cover the back of said opening, and a pair of opposed spring clips extending through said opening for connecting the translucent member to the letter plate, one of said clips having a shoulder to hold the edge of said plate 2. A letter plate for illuminated signs, comprising a plate having a character outlined thereon. with an opening therein. a translucent plate at the back of the letter plate covering the openings therethrough, and a pair of opposed spring clips extending through said openings for connecting the translucent plate to the letter plate. one of each pair of spring clips being much larger. than the other. and having a shoulder formed on one of its members whereby the translucent member may be held in a difl'erent position with respect to said clip from which it will occupy when being inserted in place on the letter.

3. An illuminated sign comprising clips t'or securing a translucent plate to letter lates, each clip consisting of a spring member having a plain hook on one side and having a hook with a shoulder portion formed at its opposite end.

4. A letter for illuminated signs, comprising a plate having a character outlined thereon with an opening formed there through, a translucent member at the back of the letter plate and two 8 shaped clips adapted to extend over the edge of the translucent plate and through the opening in the letter plate to hold the translucent plate against the letter plate, one of said S shaped clips having a shoulder adapted to bear upon itself and to bear upon one edge of the trans- 1 lucent member to hold it in a given position with respect to the letter plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of June, A. D. 1926.

JOSEPH HOTGHNER. 

